Alfred Dunhill ‘Aquarium’ Humidor, 1950s

Alfred Dunhill, London

Of superlative quality and scale, this Aquarium humidor is the first of its kind that we have owned or indeed seen. A beautifully painted special-order collaboration between Ben Shillingford, the craftsman behind the Aquarium lighter series in the 1950s, and watercolour artist Margaret Bennett. The lid has a scene of white Waterlilies and all four sides of the box have scenes of silvery rocks, plants and reeds with iridescent fish swimming amongst them. The deep Plexiglas walls of the box with refractive quality give the piece an overall sense of liquidity as if looking into a real aquarium. The interior of the box is cedar lined and has its original humidifier and a single central divider. Capable of storing approximately 100 loose cigars comfortably, we have illustrated the box with Montecristo no. 1s fitted, for scale.

The only other recorded example of an Aquarium humidor of this magnitude, was the example owned by Winston Churchill and which resided on his desk at Chartwell. This piece was known to have been a gift from 1950s socialites Lord and Lady Docker, who commissioned it from Shillingford and Bennett, who were kept unaware of the importance of the recipient of the gift, until it was completed. English, circa 1950s.

Length: 14½ inches (37 cm)
Depth:  9½ inches (24 cm)
Height:  7 inches (18 cm)

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